Things that every Bride should Know about her Wedding Day
1. GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP
This might go without saying, but you want to look your absolute best on your wedding day. So that means having your bachelorette party AT LEAST a week before your wedding (I recommend having it a month or two beforehand just to be extra safe. Those hangovers can be crazy!). That also means curtailing the drinking/fun at your rehearsal dinner as well. Trust me, you’ll WANT to go out and celebrate with all the friends and family that will be in town for your wedding the night before but resist the urge and do your best to be in bed by 11.You’ll most likely be too nervous to go to sleep right away, but use that time to do something by yourself, like read a book or watch a romantic comedy movie.
2. EAT BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!
Depending on the time of your wedding, you’ll want to make sure you have at least two full/balanced meals in you before the wedding starts. So go ahead and make/order a good breakfast and have a lunch that has some carbs in it. You’ll also want to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Save the champagne for 30 minutes or less before the wedding starts if you want to have a toast with your bridesmaids. That way you won’t be tired and/or dehydrated when you say your vows! Also, make sure your groom and wedding party does the same! Nobody wants a drunk/hungry groom or maid of honor.
3. GIVE YOURSELF TIME
The last thing you want to be doing the morning/afternoon of your wedding is rushing around like a crazy person (and trust me, it will most likely happen regardless). Do yourself a favor and give yourself plenty of time/padding between your hair/makeup appointments, photos, and ceremony start time to allow for anything that might come up. Print out schedules for the wedding party (and your groom) as well as family so everybody knows where they must be and when. Also, give yourself time in the morning to just be by yourself before the madness begins. Take an extra-long shower or bath and take some time to pamper yourself mentally/physically before it all starts. You’ll thank yourself later!
4. DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN BEFORE THE WEDDING DAY
Yes! this might sound obvious, but really take a minute to think about the little things you can do in the days or even night before your wedding that will make your wedding day easier. For example, don’t get your nails done the day of…get them done 1-2 days beforehand. Same goes for any beauty treatments (not only to save you time but to alleviate the risk of any allergic reactions during a facial or massage or scrub).
Get your purse ready the night before and make sure you have a bag with all your essentials ready to take with you to your venue (such as comfortable flats for when your shoes are killing you at the end of the night, or toiletry essentials like deodorant and tampons).You’ll also want to make sure you confirm all existing appointments a few days before the wedding, such as any ceremony musicians you’ve hired or your hair/makeup artist. Send them an email/text or friendly voice-message just reminding them of their scheduled arrival time and that you’re looking forward to seeing them, and for them to call you with any questions.
5. HAVE A BOTTLE OF WATTER ON HAND WHEN YOU TAKE PICTURES
Everyone tells you not to lock your knees during the ceremony because you might faint. Well, you should also be careful if you take pictures ahead of time because it's easy to get overheated. For what it's worth, I think pre-ceremony photos are the way to go — you can still do a "first look" with your future spouse even if it's not as you walk down the aisle, and then you get to join your guests at the reception without delay.
6. ASK THE CATER TO PACK A MEAL FOR YOU TO EAT LATER
Even though you meticulously planned the menu, you have a lot of people to greet and hug and say, "Thank you!" to and you might not get to sit down long enough to enjoy the food. "Oh, we will be eating at our wedding," most couples said this but... most likely you will eat it cold or not at all. Requested that two dinners be sent to the hotel room, and eat them after the party ended.
7. ASK FOR CAKE TOO
Yeah, you might not eat that at the wedding either. Aside from the bites you fed each other for photos, you might won’t get to have the cake until much later either. Also, ask the venue to save whatever cake is left, as you (definitely) don't want that to be thrown out.
8. DESIGNATE A BATHROOM BUDDY
It's not easy to pee in a long dress with multiple layers of fabric and/or a petticoat. You might need someone to come into the stall with you to get you situated. You're modest? So am I. I still had a bathroom buddy.
9. BOOK A SPA APPOINTMENT THE WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING
Even though you've made most of the decisions and everything is finally coming together, things can get a little stressful as your wedding day approaches. Between wrapping up things at work and finalizing seating assignments and packing for your honeymoon, you will probably want a little time in which no one talks to you. Book a facial or a massage the weekend before, get to the spa early, sit in the lounge, and quietly read a magazine until it's your turn. I loved that time so much that I've now started giving friends spa gift certificates as their bridal shower gifts.
11. CHAMPAGNE
No explanation needed.
12. GET YOUR TUNES
Trust us, you’ll want a killer playlist to get you and your Bridesmaids ready! Ask your MAID OF HONOR to put together a SPOTIFY playlist with all of your favorites like Beyonce, old school Britney Spears and as many ‘girl power anthems’ as possible.
13. GETTING READY IN LOTS OF SPACE & LIGHT
We know that often getting ready locations can be very sentimental. When considering where to get ready with your girls on your wedding day, look for areas or rooms that have tons of natural light coming in the room. Lots of large windows equals really dreamy getting ready photos. We are light and airy photographers, who go for as natural a look as possible. So when we walk into a room that has a clean uncluttered light colored background, lots of space and a lot of natural light, we get REALLY excited. We get excited because we know that the result of these photos are going to be gorgeous and be everything you have been dreaming of for your bridal portraits! We do have some tricks for adding light when necessary, but a large light-filled room is always the goal. If you don’t have access to a large light and bright space, some other options could include asking a family member to let you use their home for your getting ready, or using a light-filled bed & breakfast on AirBNB for your getting ready location.
14. ALLOW FOR BREATHING ROOM IN YOUR TIMELINE
We want to tell the story of your day as it truly is. And we want to capture those incredible moments of you getting ready. But most of all, we want you to take it all in. We want you to be able to slow down and savor what is happening. The beginning of your legacy and that you are marrying the man of your dreams! Breathing room in your wedding timeline is a huge part of having photos that are authentic and full of emotion. These are the photos that you will treasure most. By having this breathing room, you are giving yourself space to fully experience and just relax, take in every special moment. To soak in the love that you two share, and to experience it fully together by being fully present in each moment. Wedding days can fly by so quickly, so we recommend to give yourself space to be together and just be.